Building a Bigger Table formed in 2019, when migrant families were being separated and caged at our southern border. In that moment, Building a Bigger Table (BBT) was born. When you have more than you need, build a bigger table, not a higher wall. Our mission is to support asylum seekers, migrants and refugees. We are a task force of First Parish Brewster UU.
We focus our work in three areas: accompaniment, education and advocacy. We help migrants adjudicate their cases; manage (complex) life in the US; develop agency; become more independent; and stay safe. We plug our friends into helpful resources.
We work daily with:
- Making appointments and going with them
- Health care
- School communication and meetings
- Driving lessons and licenses
- Submitting forms, fees and securing legal representation
- Housing and household items
- English classes
- Continuing education and professional certifications
- Resumes and job search
- Day care and play groups
- Enrichment, fun and birthday parties
We do immigration advocacy work on a local, state and national level, often networking with other organizations and agencies.
We seek to educate ourselves and our communities about migrant issues and about the population we serve. Our goal is that our friends from away be safe, self-sustaining, contributing members of society.
They teach us every day what it is like to be a migrant; about determination, patience, and courage, for migration is an act of courage.